Continuous washing machine



July 29, 1969 A. KORSCH CONTINUOUS WASHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 19, 1967INVENTOR. ALFRED KORSCH.

BY {CLUB/H Wi United States Patent Office 3,457,740 Patented July 29,1969 3,457,740 CONTINUOUS WASHING MACHINE Alfred Korseh, Krefeld,Germany, assignor to Gerber & Co., G.m.b.H., Krefeld, Germany, acorporation of Germany -Filed Dec. 19, 1967, Ser. No. 691,749

Int. Cl. D06f 45/12, 45/10, 45/24 US. Cl. 68-22 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE The invention Prior art attempts to develop the newestwashing machines have led to developments of machines wherein aplurality of more or less elastic rolls are placed vertically on top ofeach other and the web of material such as textiles are passed in a backand forth or zigzag movement from the bottom upwards with the use oflaterally arranged reverse rollers. The squeeze joints or nips formed bythe set of rolls are the points where the textiles are squeezed. Thebasis for this type of operation is the vigorous squeezing incurred ineach nip or joint which presses the chemicals present in the materialout of the material. After each pressing or squeezing step, water orother wash chemicals are added by spraying or other means to the fabricto dilute the amount of remaining chemicals or other treating agents,which in turn is then squeezed by the next nip or joint. In aprogression of rolls as has been provided, very quick washing of thefabric takes place, leaving only a reltaively insignificant amount ofcontamination.

In the practice of the prior art operations, some disadvantages havebeen found which limit the scope of application of such machines.Basically, these disadvantages are caused by the stacking of the rolls.Despite the application of a high hydraulic compression pressure, theroller weights still are a material factor and the gap pressuresincrease from the top downward. Because of this fact, the squeezerollers must be elastic due to the different impression phases in thegap. In any event, the various circumferential speeds or rotating speedsof the various rolls result in varying speeds for the several rolls.This variable speed creates tension in the goods, and the resultingfriction causes tears and other damages to the goods being processed.Compensation rolls are ineffective in eliminating this drawback,primarily because there is not a suflicient amount of space for a bufferpath.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a washingmachine of continuous nature which obviates the problems of tension,friction and other stresses on goods being subjected to a washing cycle.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

It has now been discovered that the following invention is admirablysuited to the washing of textiles and other flexible materials. Theinvention involves the use of various squeezing means comprising onecenter roll of some elasticity and two side rolls or bilaterally spacedrolls of higher elastic compression. These side rolls are placed incontactual relationship with the center roll to form a first contact nipand a second contact nip. The plurality of squeeze means as describedare placed in a spaced apart relationship, either vertically orhorizontally, such that the flexible material passes through the firstcontact nip of each succeeding squeeze means and, after reversal at thelast squeeze means, return in the reverse order through the secondcontact nip of each of the squeeze means. Use of reversing rolls betweenthe squeeze means allows for an extended path of travel. In a preferredembodiment, the center rolls of all of the squeeze means aresynchronized by a single driving means, and the center rolls are furthermanufactured to have a precisely similar diameter.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 shows the present invention arranged in a vertical positionwith the various squeeze means superimposed; and

FIGURE 2 shows an alternative embodiment, wherein an entrainment belt ofelastic material surrounds the center rolls of an apparatus similar tothat shown in FIGURE 1.

As shown in FIGURE 1, a plurality of squeeze means are mounted on theframe 8. Each of these squeeze means comprise a center roll 1 and twoside rolls 2 positioned in contactual relationship with the center rollto form a first contact nip 14 and a second contact nip 12. The textileor other flexible material 3 enters the device in the direction shown byarrow 15 and passes through the first contact nip 14 formed by thecenter roll 1 and one of the side rolls 2. The textile 3 passes througheach succeeding first nip 14 of each of the squeeze means, and afterreversal of direction, the textile 3 passes through the second contactnip 12 of each squeeze means in a reverse order and leaves the device inthe direction shown by arrow 16. To increase the length of travel, andthe time for treatment, reversing rollers 4 are placed in the gapsbetween the squeeze means.

As the textile or other flexible material passes through the device, itis maintained essentially tension free due to the fact that the centerrolls 1 are constructed with essentially identical diameters. Thesecenter rolls are driven by a single drive means 5 which causes a singleshaft 7 to turn each of the center rolls 1 through transmission wheels 8at a uniform and constant rate. Finally, the gap pressures for the firstcontact nip 14 and second contact nip 12 are maintained constant bypressure elements 9. Thus the circumferential speed in the nips and thenip pressures are constant, resulting in a tension free travel of pathfor the textile 3.

Following each squeezing through each of the contact nips, the materialis sprayed with a washing fluid by means of spray nozzles 10 which, inthis case, are tubes or pipes arranged parallel to the rolls. It is apreferred practice to locate these spray pipes 10 on that side where thegoods are discharged from a contact nip, thereby affording the washingfluid suflicient time to diffuse into the goods to pick up any residualcontamination prior to squeezing in the next succeeding contact mp.

In a preferred embodiment, as shown in this figure, the

squeeze means are located vertically. The advantage of this arrangementis that the washing fluids which have been squeezed from the materialflow downward by the force of gravity. A portion of this washing fluidis introduced into the textile or other flexible material prior to thematerial 3 entering into the first nips 14, thereby acting as apre-wash. As the flexible material 3 leaves the device, upon passingthrough the various second contact nips 12, it is less likely toencounter overflow wash fluids as"it"'appro'aches the'exit'of the'device'and'therefore recontamination is minimized.

Additional spray means 11 may also be provided.

Each of the three part squeeze means are positioned on horizontal crossbeams 17. The center rolls 1 are mounted on the cross beam 17 by amounting 18. The side rolls 2 are attached to mountings 19 whichcooperate with pressure elements 9 which are attached to frame 8.

In a preferred embodiment, the center rolls 1 are manufactured from arelatively elastic material. The side rolls 2 are constructed of amaterial which is more elastic than the material used as a covering orcoating for the center means "and "mounted "on said frame; said" squeezemeans comprising a relatively elastic center roll and two relativelymore elastic side rolls positioned in contactual relationship with saidcenter roll to form a first contact nip and a second contact nip,whereby a path of travel forfs'aid material is defined, such that saidmaterial "passes through saidfirsf' contact nip of each succeeding'S'et' of rolls and returns through the second, ;c0ntact nip Of each set'of'rolls in reverse order. I 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein saiddrive means comprises a single drive adapted to synchronize the rotationof each center roll.

roll 1. This is done to maintain a close tolerance of the relationshipbetween the various center rolls and is additionally important inproviding a uniform direction of the travel of the wash water, since itis known that the passage of a flexible material through a nip formed bytwo rolls of differing elasticity will cause the fluids containedtherein to pass through the material in a direction toward the moreflexible roll.

A further preferred embodiment of the present invention is to mount acirculating and loose compression belt as shown in FIGURE 2 by belt 13around the center rolls 1. This may be done to permit the manufacture ofthe center rolls 1 from a relatively hard material suuh as metal whichpermits accurate construction of close tolerances. The side rolls 2 maythen be coated with a more elastic material to provide the relationshipof greater elasticity in the side rolls 2 as described above.

Further embodiments of the invention will become apparent such as wherethe plurality of squeeze means are positioned horizontally with respectto each other, and it is intended that the scope of the invention shallbe limited only by the claims appended herein.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for washing flexible materials such as textilescomprising:

a plurality of squeeze means in spaced apart relationship, a framesupporting said squeeze means, drive means for passing said textilethrough said squeeze means, and spray means positioned near squeeze 3.Thee-apparatus of claim -1 wherein said-spray means are positionedat the"discharge e'nd of eahco ntact nip.

-4. The apparatusof claim '1Which further contains guide --rollspositioned between said squeeze means to lengthen the 'path 'of travelof 'said' flexible material. 5. The apparatus of claim '1' "whereinsaid"squeeze means are positioned in a vertical relationship withrespect to each other. t a Y 6. The apparatus of claim I whichfurthercontains an entrainment 'belt embracing all of said center rolls, saidentrainment belt being of less elasticity than'said second roll.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said squeeze means contain pressureelements to'vary the pressure hetween said side rolls and said centerrolls.

I ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,064,458 11/1962 Grimes 6843 X3,162,033 12/1964 Grimes 68-43 FOREIGN PATENTS 378,835 8/ 1964'Switzerland.

WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner U.S. c1. X.R.

